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Saturday, October 5, 2013

Back to my roots

My poor mom. Every year she sends me a check for my birthday and the note always says, go by something pretty. And every year I buy something I need and want, and it usually doesn't fit the description of "pretty". This year, same thing. I needed some new hiking boots. We are planning a backpack trip for later in the month and I really don't have the shoes for it, they have all been abused by pottery. So I went to REI yesterday and got me some new Keens. Love them, and I am grateful for the money my mom sent, I'll just pretend they are pretty shoes, haha!

Gerry and Wesley gave me a new Camelback water bladder and some hiking poles, so I am good to go! We went up to Hanging Rock earlier this week, back to the crags we have climbed for years. These poles are so great, where were they twenty years ago when I was bitching about the descent on that miserable trail!? And no more taking my pack off and fumbling for my water bottle. Wish I had thought about these things years ago. It's not like they didn't exist....

Gerry got a little Stokes County rock fix, we had a great hike, had some lunch and then went to check out the new house of our old college mate that just bought land and built up there.

While we were talking to the builder at our friend's house, I mentioned that my grandmother (dad's mother) was buried up that way and asked if he knew where Palmyra church was. Turns out we were less than ten minutes away! Our friend bought land in the same location my "people" came from. Small world, isn't it?! My grandmother died in childbirth when my dad was twelve years old. Look at those dates, she was only forty years old... It's a sad tale, his life was pretty hard up there in Stokes County. His grandfather had a farm somewhere close by and this is where the family went to church. I found out that my grandmother Emma also lived on a farm nearby in Madison. Now here is some weird shit. Wesley's middle name is Madison and I bought that llama fiber from a farm in Madison. (Hum the Twilight Zone theme here while you read...)

I love the pastor's name, sort of perfect, wonder if he made that up, haha!

I am a Smith, with people in Stokes County, as they say in the south "Who are your people?"
Apparently a lot of them get buried here in this cemetery, there was a bunch of them!

It's really odd. Gerry and I have always felt a pull from this area. We love it up there, have rock climbed there for years at Saurtown, Moore's Wall and Pilot Mt. The funny thing is, from this cemetery you can see all three mountains. Maybe that's where we should be buried..... we have talked about buying land up there and now we even know someone living up there. Maybe one day we will and then we'll get some llamas :-)

Those boots were made for hiking.Strange things can sometimes take us right to where we should be.This place is calling you.Did you know that my sister was born in Raleigh, grew up in Virginia, ended up back there and lived there until she died.Life is full of funny things.Madison....

Sounds like it's all falling into place Tracey ; )Sorry I haven't dropped by for a while... or wished you a happy birthday... "belated birthday wishes!" (you handled it well)and look at Gerry go... he's the man! I'm envious. That man...rocks! (pun intended)